Garlic & Artichoke Chicken Sausage with Mediterranean Vegetable Medley

We’ve entered a new phase in our household. It’s called: Sports. Every. Night.

Over the years, our girls have taken a similar liking to dance and spend most of their evenings together at the studio. Now, our little buddy is keeping us on our toes, practicing two times a week in hopes to make the basketball team, along with one evening at kids crossfit.

Recently, we sat down as a family for a ‘State of the Union’. This is something we do quite often. It gives us a chance to talk about things; life, schedules, feelings, attitudes, goals,… This particular ‘State of the Union’ was to address our new sport schedule for the year. The concern was energy and nutrition. How would we survive sports every night of the week and have the energy to prepare healthy meals when we got home?! (Keep in mind, we pass Burgerville and Blind Onion Pizza — every night — on our way home)

Our conclusion was this: We, as a family, enjoy being active. We support each others goals, hopes and dreams. We also appreciate quality nutrition; understanding it’s importance to stay healthy and perform at this level. AND THEN, everyone looked at me and said, “Mom, what’s for dinner?!”

I cried.

Just kidding. I didn’t cry. But, we did acknowledge everyones worth in the kitchen. Cooking shouldn’t be left to one person, it should be a family affair.

Garlic & Artichoke Chicken Sausage with Mediterranean Vegetable Medley is a perfect recipe for a busy evening and/or beginner chef. Created by my husband, with the helping hands of our kids, this bowl of Mediterranean deliciousness can be thrown together in less than 20 minutes.

Garlic & Artichoke Chicken Sausage with Mediterranean Vegetable Medley

GROCERY LIST (makes 5 servings)

1 package artichoke & garlic chicken sausage links (I used Aidella), sliced and cut in half
1/2 kabocha squash, de-seeded and chopped (skins are eatable & delicious!)
1/2 head of cauliflower, chopped
2 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1 zucchini, sliced and cut in half
1 yellow butter squash, sliced and cut in half
1 cup tomatoes, chopped
handful of fresh basil, chopped
1-2 TBSP olive oil
2-3 TBSP red wine vinegar
2-3 TBSP balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste
almonds, whole

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS (prep time: 5 minutes; cooking time:15 minutes)

1) In a large skillet, warm a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat. Add sausage and brown 10-15 minutes, stirring (more like shaking, you know me….) occasionally. Add a splash of red wine vinegar, allowing to absorb the last 1-2 minutes. Set aside.

2) Meanwhile, in a large stir-fry pan, warm a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat. Toss in kabocha and cauliflower, let cook for a minute or two, while you prep onions and red pepper. Toss in onions and red pepper, give the pan a nice shake to combine the ingredients and stir-fry a minute or two more. Prep zucchini and yellow squash, add to the pan and stir-fry until all the vegetables are cooked to your liking, about 5 – 10 minutes. Add tomato and basil to the pan, along with a splash or two of red wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar. Add sausage to the pan and toss all ingredients together, remove from heat and serve.